


Culling of the Kraken

by DiamondWinters



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: M/M, Mentions of Blood, Mythical Beings & Creatures, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-05-16 17:15:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14815514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiamondWinters/pseuds/DiamondWinters
Summary: Yuri discovers a new guy down at the beach, but what he learns about the man will shock him. What is worse is when attacks start happening in the waters.





	Culling of the Kraken

**Author's Note:**

> Written at the last minute for MerMay. I hope you enjoy!!

Yuri's been going to the beach every summer for as long as he can remember. It was the summer when he was 16 that he first saw the most beautiful person ever. Well at least half of them. Dark eyes, black hair, that was cut shorter in the back. An upper body that he could spend hours if not days letting his fingers and hands roam all over.  
  
The only problem was, he only saw the guy in the water. Never out of it. The man was always out by the rocks wading in up to his waist, and all Yuri could do was watch him. Dark and Mysterious would either lean against the rocks, like he was sunbathing his top half, or he would splash water upon his torso and arms which would cause a glimmer of his skin. Sometimes Yuri swore it looked like he was braiding the kelp.  
  
Yuri tried to call out to him once, and the guy turned and looked at him before he slipped behind a rock and disappeared. Yuri ran over, carefully climbing over the slippery stones only to find the area free of handsome strangers.  
  
But Yuri was determined to meet the mystery man.  
  
It was a gloomy day when Yuri decided to take his grandfather's little row boat out. He thought if he came around to the rocks where he saw Dark and Mysterious from a different direction, perhaps he could catch the guy. What he didn't expect was for the gray sky to suddenly take a turn for the worse and turn into an instant thunderstorm.  
  
The high winds picked up, creating higher waves, rocking the small wooden boat. Yuri lost an oar and was holding on to both sides of the dinghy as a giant wave picked him up and tossed him about. With a scream, he was knocked over and went head first under the ocean waves. He kicked and fought against the pull of the undercurrent but it was stronger than him, and just when he thought he was going to lose air, he hit his head on the edge of the boat as it was thrown around in the water causing his world to go dark.  
  
With a groan and a gasp, Yuri jerked awake, sputtering water out from his lungs as he coughed. Once he was able to breathe properly again, he looked around. He found he was sitting inside a damp cave with light ahead that indicated a way out, and small waves crashed against his feet from the tide that was washing in from the raging storm outside. The air was cold from the blowing winds, and it made his skin prickle with goosebumps. His blond hair stuck to his face and he wiped it back to get it out of his eyes. His head hurt where it had smashed against the boat, but otherwise, he didn't seem to have any other cuts or wounds.  
  
He knew he couldn't leave the confines of the cave yet, as a blinding bolt of lightning streaked across the sky followed closely by the ground shaking clash of thunder. Instead, he pulled his legs to his chest and wrapped his arms around them to help ward off some of the chill.  
  
Yuri looked around in the dim light and found that the cave almost looked like it had been inhabited, but by what or whom he couldn't decide. The ground not covered by water was littered with many shells and pieces of sea glass, and in fact, a small stack had been piled up in the nook near the back. There were strands of seaweed hanging from jutting fragments of stone, which look more like they were purposely hung rather than caught by a rising tide. In fact, he would almost say someone lived here. The most telling tale was the wall drawings. Not done by paint or ink, but by scratching into the wall or with some stone that left behind a whitish color. There were images of many types of fish, some he recognized, others he didn't. There were what appeared to be symbols, perhaps an archaic kind of language by the way they flowed one from one to another.  
  
But it was the image on the other side of the small cave that got his attention. Slowly he stood, and carefully tread through the shallow water to reach the other side a few feet away to touch the engraving on the wall. Drawn with the same scratching of rock and colored with what looked to be a type of paste, was … him.  
  
A three quarters view of his head and shoulders, his hair almost obscuring his right eye, and a soft smile on his lips. Yuri reached out and gently touched the image, both shocked and slightly terrified.  
  
"What the hell?" he questioned his voice echoing off the walls of the cave.  
  
A splash, one not part of the dying storm outside, was heard further in the cave and startled him from his musings. Yuri looked down into the darkness wondering what else might have washed in here with him.  
  
He looked down to make sure he knew he could step forward without stumbling and made his way down further into the small cave. His hand trailed along the wall for support just in case he slipped on the wet ground. A few trinkets of sea glass or shells would occasionally catch the light of the lightning from the opening, but otherwise, the deeper he went, the darker it got. He heard a splash again and kept his eyes down in the water wondering what poor fish had gotten swept in here with him.  
  
What he wasn't expecting was to see the tail of something much larger than the average cod or grouper. The tail fins were almost as long as he was tall, and the lower body looked massive. The scales were a deep gray and shined with an iridescence that reflected the light like a rainbow.  
  
Yuri's breath caught in his throat. On the one hand, he wanted to see the rest of the fish, to see what it was, but on the other, he was terrified it might be a type of shark or marlin. Something that could hurt him. Quickly and quietly he backed up until he could see the opening only a few feet away.  
  
The storm was passing as he could see the lightning off into the distance, and hear the sound of the thunder as it was softer and further away. The rain was gentler now as he walked to the entrance and he stood there for a few moments wondering what happened to his grandfather's boat. Probably at the bottom of the ocean by now. For a fleeting moment, he looked back at the image of himself carved into the cave wall, wondering how it had gotten there and by whom when a glint of light caught his eye. He looked back, wondering what it was, suddenly feeling like he was being watched. He remembered the large fish that was in there and figured he should go before it made its way back out into the ocean.  
  
Coming out of the cave he found himself on the shore of a secluded beach. Looking around he saw that the small town he and his grandfather lived in wasn't that far off. The lights from the houses and street lamps burned into the darkening sky. As carefully as he could, he climbed around the jutting slippery rocks and managed to crawl back up onto solid land.  
  
The journey back to the road only lasted ten or so minutes, but he was cold and still very wet. The trek back to town took nearly two hours, and by the time he got to the end of the dirt road that led to his grandfather's cottage, he was almost frozen and sneezing. With every last bit of willpower, he forced himself down the stretch of land that led to the welcoming warmth of his home. By the time he was half-way there, the door had burst open, and a tall figure with short silver hair stood in the entrance.  
  
"YURI!" his cousin called then proceeded to rush out to him. He was followed by Yuri's cousin-in-law who thankfully had enough foresight to bring along a jacket.  
  
Before he could stutter out a single word, warm arms enveloped him and squeezed him tight.  
  
"Mmmfp" was all he could get out against the broad chest he was squished against.  
  
"We've been so worried," Victor said, his voice tight with worry.  
  
"H… how… long?" Yuri managed to say through his chattering teeth before he squeaked when his cousin lifted him up and carried him bridal style back towards the house.  
  
Yuuri, his cousin's husband, had caught up to them and draped the jacket over his small body in an attempt to shield him from the cold air and offer some warmth.  
  
"You've been gone for hours, Yuri. We were so worried," Yuuri said. Fear evident in his voice and his eyes.  
  
Yuri looked away and buried his face in his cousin's chest. He knew he shouldn't have taken the boat without permission. He knew his grandfather would say it was too dangerous, that the weather didn't look right to be out on the waters, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him. And now he had to pay the price of his impulsiveness.  
  
They got him to the house and into a hot bath. Once in, he sank down into the soothing water and wanted to stay there as long as he could. He remained in the tub until the water cooled and he considered turning the tap back on to warm it again. But he knew he had to face reality eventually, and figured it would be better to do it sooner rather than later. There was no point in putting off the inevitable.  
  
After getting warm and into clean clothes, he met his grandfather who was sitting in his usual chair. A rocking recliner that faced partially towards the fireplace, and partly towards the large window that looked over the ocean.  
  
"Grandfather, I'm sorry for taking your boat out without permission," Yuri apologized, his head down. He braced himself for yelling. For an angry outburst, but instead what he got was much worse.  
  
His grandfather refused to look at him, his face as if made of stone as he kept staring off into the distance, seemingly more interested in the fading thunderstorm than his grandson who was almost lost to it. He sat without saying a word, but it was his eyes that pained Yuri the most. The look of utter disappointment and heartache.  
  
Yuri couldn't stand it, the anguish, the betrayal. He caused this. "Grandpa?" he choked on the word.  
  
Yuri looked up in time to see Victor and Yuuri quickly turn away and go back into the kitchen, busying themselves with making dinner.  
  
"You could have died," his grandfather spoke softly.  
  
Yuri dropped to his knees at the old man's feet and gripped the withered hand in his younger ones.  
  
"I'm so sorry; please forgive me," Yuri cried.  
  
"I can't lose you, Yurochka," Nikolai said finally looking down at his grandson. Yuri leaned his head against the arm of the chair and felt as old fingers carded through his still wet hair. "You're all I have left," the old man said.  
  
"Grandpa," Yuri cried.  
  
With both of his parents gone, his father lost to the ocean; his mother died of a broken heart, Yuri was all Nikolai had left to call family. Yuri should have known better. They both stayed quiet for a moment allowing their emotions to take their toll.  
  
"Promise me you will never do something so foolish ever again, Yurochka," his grandfather demanded.  
  
Yuri could only nod and swear on his life that he wouldn't ever be so foolish. He looked up and found Nikolai looking down at him with a sad smile, and he couldn't hold back any longer, He jumped up and hugged his grandfather long and hard.  
  
It wasn't until a soft clearing of a throat brought them back to the present. "Dinner's ready," Yuuri offered softly from the doorway leading to the kitchen.  
  
Now knowing everything was going to be alright, the two men made their way to the dinner table.  
  


**~*~**

  
Yuri promised during their dinner he would replace the small rowboat and he kept true to his word. It took time and working odd jobs when he could find them, but he managed to save the money to purchase a new boat for his grandfather. During his down time, when he wasn't either painting someone's house or mowing a lawn, Yuri would find himself back at the beach. Two weeks after the storm, he was sitting on a large piece of driftwood that had made a permanent spot on the beach ages ago, when he spied the dark and handsome stranger by the rocks out in the water again.  
  
He wanted to meet the boy, but his promise not to do foolish things, like swim out to the danger zone where the rip tide was the strongest, kept him in place. He didn't understand how that guy could be out there when everyone knew it wasn't safe.  
  
"Hey!" he called, waving an arm, hoping to get the other's attention.  
  
Again, the shirtless man, like he always was, was waist deep in the ocean. There had been times when Yuri wondered if the guy was even wearing clothes because he never saw anything resembling swim trunks on him.  
  
The dark-haired man turned and looked at him. He didn't speak or wave back, but he held Yuri's gaze.  
  
"Hey!" Yuri called again. "What's your name?" he needed to know.  
  
Instead of replying, the other man slipped a necklace off from around his neck and placed it on the top of the large rock he was near. All while never breaking eye contact. Then, without a word, he slipped forward behind the rock and out of Yuri's view. Yuri raced ahead and quickly as he could and scrambled carefully along the sharp rocks. He came to the place where the other was but didn't find the stranger anywhere. Instead, he found a necklace made from twine twisted together. Hanging off the end, like a pendant was a small shell, and over it laid a large gray fish scale with an iridescent quality. Reflecting a rainbow as Yuri turned it in his hand. It was precisely like the scales of the giant fish he had seen in the cave.  
  
Marveling at the gift, he slipped it on over his head, flipping his hair over the strand. Then he held the small conch shell out examining its beauty. It was barely larger than his thumb and had a beautiful sheen to it.  
  
A splash caught his attention, and the tail fins of a large gray fish could be seen slipping back into the ocean. He waited a moment, hoping it would break the surface of the water again, but after five minutes it never did, and he knew he wouldn't see it. At least not then. Knowing he was pushing the boundaries of his promise to his grandfather, he carefully retreated to dry land and made his way home before the sunset.  
  


**~*~**

  
Yuri came back the next day, still wearing the necklace, to look for the handsome stranger. Only this time he went straight to the rocks where he always saw Dark and Mysterious. Carefully climbing over the wet stone, he managed to find a spot that allowed him to look down into the waters but could hide behind another more massive rock jutting out in front.  
  
The sun rose slowly up into the sky and was nearly straight overhead as he laid as leisurely as he could against the solid stone when he heard a splashing noise off into the distance. He leaned forward and peeked around the boulder and saw movement in the water. The ripples caused by the creature moving quickly indicating its speed, and he could see it was coming straight towards where he was hiding. A dark fin broke the surface of the water, and Yuri couldn't stop the quiet gasp that escaped him. When the ripples moved to just below where he was hiding, he had to lean forward to try to see what was happening. Just as he was about to peek over the edge a person burst out of the ocean and startled him so much, he slid forward on the algae-covered rock and fell into the arms of the stranger. The force of him falling forward caused the other man to fall back into the water along with Yuri.  
  
With his eyes wide open under the salt-water, Yuri was able to get a quick view of the man he had been trying to find all day. Except where the man stopped, a fish continued, and the realization of what he was looking at caused him to gasp and flail his arms and legs in a desperate attempt to get back to the surface to breathe.  
  
Before he knew it, a pair of hands grabbed him by the waist and pushed him up onto the shortest rock nearby so that he could sit on it and catch his breath. He spat out the water in his mouth and coughed up what had tried to get into his lungs as he stared at the dark piercing eyes of the creature before him.  
  
"You're a… a … mermaid." Yuri sputtered between coughs.  
  
The dark-haired stranger didn't say anything, his head and shoulders bobbing out of the water, watching him intently.  
  
"Can you speak?" Yuri asked after a moment after he caught his breath. The merman nodded his head but otherwise didn't offer any other answer. "Okay. I'm Yuri. Do you have a name?"  
  
"Otabek Altin," he said still focusing on Yuri as if determining whether or not he was going to stay or slip under the water and swim away. "What are you doing out here?" Otabek asked.  
  
"Looking for you." Yuri shifted around so he could lay on his stomach on the rock to get closer to the mermaid bobbing in the ocean. "I got your gift. See?" and Yuri went to pull the necklace forward to show him, but discovered it missing. "What? No! It must have slipped off when I fell," Yuri looked down into the water as if he could somehow see if despite the splashing waves hitting the rocks.  
  
Otabek looked down and then disappeared under the surface. Yuri tried to watch him, but there was too much foam obscuring his view. That didn't stop him from nearly hanging over the edge to try though. Suddenly there was a splash, and he was almost nose to nose with Otabek when the mermaid reappeared. Yuri didn't move back, and neither did Otabek. Slowly, Otabek raised his hands and held out the necklace slipping it over Yuri's head letting it fall around his neck.  
  
"Thank you," Yuri whispered, and Otabek nodded in return. Then the realization hit him, and Yuri's eyes got large. "You're the one who saved me during the storm."  
  
"You were hurt and drowning."  
  
Yuri thought for a moment, remembering that day.  
  
"Is that your cave?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why is there a drawing of me on the wall?" Yuri's question must not have been expected as Otabek's eyes widen, and he waded backward a few inches. But his expression quickly went back to stoic before he answered.  
  
"I've been watching you. You're a very strong person. I felt we had something in common." Otabek offered, and it was Yuri's turn to be surprised.  
  
"Really?"  
  
Otabek nodded. "Yes, it's that simple really."  
  
Yuri smiles, one that he rarely shows.  
  
It's then that Yuri noticed something about Otabek. "Shouldn’t you have gills? Or fins around your ears or something?"  
  
"I pulled them in," Otabek explained which only served to confuse Yuri more.  
  
"What?"  
  
Otabek closed his eyes for a moment, and before Yuri's eyes thin slits appear in his neck, creating gills, his ears elongated and became the same color as his tail as they took on a thin fin-like quality, and when Otabek turned, there was a long fin down his back. He raised his hands, and Yuri is amazed to find they changed to an iridescence gray past his wrist, nearly up to his elbows, with webbing between his fingers the tips were sharp claws.  
  
Otabek turned back to face him with a serious expression. "So friends?" extending a hand in friendship.  
  
Yuri smiled and nodded as he took the merman’s hand in his to shake on it.  
  
They spent the next few hours talking, Otabek eventually leaned on his arms against the rock, looking slightly up at Yuri, who is still laying on his stomach resting his head on his own folded arms so they can talk face to face. It wasn’t until the sun started to set over the water that Yuri and Otabek said their goodbyes and the promised to see each other again.  
  
They meet either at the rocks or Otabek's cave for many weeks, talking, learning and getting to know each other. Otabek lets Yuri run a hand down his scales one afternoon when Yuri's curiosity got the better of him, and Yuri allows Otabek to braid his hair that is now touching his shoulders.  
  
"This is so cool," Yuri said as he ran his hand down from Otabek's hip where the skin fades into scales and down the front of the man's body. "What's this?" Yuri asked as his hand ghosted over a bulge in the front. It had what looked to be a slit or what could be an opening for something to come out, but before he could touch it, Otabek snatched his hand away. "HEY!"  
  
"That's… private," Otabek said looking anywhere but at Yuri.  
  
The boy couldn't help but notice how red Otabek's face turned and how it went across his cheeks, to the tips of his ears and down his neck. Yuri glanced down and realized where the bulge on Otabek's body is in contrast to his own and then glanced down to his body for confirmation when the realization hit him what it was he was about to touch.  
  
"Oh. Sorry." It was Yuri's turn to blush as Otabek let go of his wrist, and Yuri jerked it back quickly. "So… how do you do that thing where you can make your upper body look more human? Can you do that with your … bottom half?" Yuri gestured towards Otabek's body.  
  
"I'm not sure. I've always been able to transform my upper half, but I haven’t been successful with my tail. It's a lot easier when I’m dry; I'll lay out in the sun to make sure the color disappears."  
  
"Can you try to transform your tail?" Yuri leaned in slightly to get a better look at the mermaid. They were currently in the cave as the summer sun had become too hot for them to handle.  
  
"Not in here. Too much moisture."  
  
Yuri was disappointed but understood. It didn't stop his fascination with the mythical man.  
  
By the end of the summer, they had become best friends and nearly inseparable. Yuri spent more time in or near the water then he did at home and after he had earned enough money to replace the small rowboat he had gotten his grandfather’s permission, to use it to visit Otabek. He told Nikolai that he was going out with his new friend, Otabek, but it pained him that he couldn’t reveal what Otabek was.  
  


**~*~**

  
It was a hot August day when the first incident happened. The crowded beach was teaming with people, many were in the ocean swimming, trying to keep cool in the noonday sun when there was a shout for help. A teenager had swam further out than the rest when he screamed for help. One moment he was bobbing in the water, the next he was yanked under. When he resurfaced, he was crying and begging for help as he tried to swim back to shore. He didn't get more than a few feet when he was yanked under again and stayed under for a full minute before resurfacing a good ten feet away from where he disappeared.  
  
Lifeguards and a man on a jet-ski race to his rescue and manage to get him to safety before he got pulled under again. His legs were massively bruised, and there was a large gash on his left calf but otherwise was alright. The news reporter said the doctors told the family that the boy was lucky to keep his legs.  
  
They assumed it was an isolated incident until two days later when it happens again. At two different times in the same day. A couple on a jet-ski get knocked over in the water. The woman was lucky to have come out with only a dislocated shoulder. Her husband, who had been driving, would have surly drowned if not the quick actions of his friends. The second accident or attack as people were now calling it, happened that evening. An elder man in a small boat, bringing in a net of fish ended up having his boat capsized in the water. With no explanation as to why or how it happened. There was no winds or high waves to cause it, and the tide was lower that night. No one could explain how or why it happened.  
  
By the end of the week, they had to close the beach after a scuba diver was found dead, floating in the water near the piers. His boat discovered to be adrift many miles offshore. His body was covered in bruises, and his suit ripped to shreds.  
  
Yuri's grandfather forbade Yuri from returning to the ocean, reminding him of his promise. But he had to know if Otabek was alright and if he knew what was causing the attacks. It was during the local evening news, as a reporter stood on the pier closest to Otabek's cave, talking about how many sea creatures were washing up on the beach, and the latest attacks that Yuri knew he had to find out if his friend was alright.  
  
After his grandfather had gone to bed that night, he quickly got dressed and slipped out of his room. He knew where each floorboard creaked and groaned and made sure to step lightly across the surface to not make any noise as he escaped. There was only a single moment when he had to stop when he heard a noise from his grandfather's room. Standing perfectly still, the sound of his heart beating like an echoing drum in his ears, he waited like a statue until he felt he could continue.  
  
Once out of the house, he looked around wondering the best way to travel. He thought about taking the boat since it was usually faster to get to Otabek's that way, but with all the attacks, he didn't want to risk his life. He couldn't take his grandfather's car, it was noisy and would undoubtedly wake Nikolai the moment Yuri turned the engine. His only other option was by foot and by his ten-speed bike. He quietly got his bike out of the small shed that sat close to the house and made his way down the barely lit street.  
  
The air was already getting cooler so late at night, and Yuri had wished he had brought a jacket with him. The thin black t-shirt wasn't heavy enough to keep him warm as he sped down the street to the secluded beach he hoped would lead to his friend. As Yuri neared the lone, broken down pier that was 20 feet from the jagged rocks that made up the cave, Yuri dropped his bike and ran as fast as he could to get down to the ocean. Since it was nearly pitch black, he had to be extremely careful as he climbed the sharp wet rocks that kept Otabek's home safe from curious trespassers. The only light off into the horizon from the town he left behind. Yuri would have used his cell phone to give him some light, but he needed both hands to keep him safe on the rocks as the waves crashed up around his feet, making it even more difficult to traverse the path.  
  
He slipped twice but managed to stay upright. Once he was on safer ground, he pulled his phone out to use its light. The waves crashed into the entrance of the cave, getting him wet from the thighs down but it didn't stop him from moving forward and calling out.  
  
"Otabek!" his voice echoed against the cave walls.  
  
All he could hear was the sound of the ocean splashing and crashing around him. He walked in further knowing sometimes Otabek liked to stay towards the back where the water levels were lower, and they could talk without Yuri getting soaked. He was beginning to think Otabek wasn't there when a trail of red caught his eye. Blood smeared along a part of the rock that hadn't been touched by the water, and it trailed back into the cave. Yuri's breath caught in his throat, and he quickened his pace.  
  
"OTABEK!" he called panic rising in his chest. A soft groan caught his attention, and he rushed to a small crevice in the side when he recognized the glint of rainbow on gray. "Otabek!" Yuri rushed to the mermaid’s side and found him leaning against the wall, cuts and massive bruises all over his body. His ears and hands still had their fish-like quality which meant he hadn't dried out enough for them to recede. Or he simply didn’t have the energy.  
  
"Can you hear me?" Yuri asked as he ran a hand through Otabek's wet hair. Otabek groaned and moved his head a little but didn't otherwise move. Yuri looked him over and found that he had a bad open wound on his side, where the skin faded into scales. "You need help," Yuri thought out loud.  
  
Otabek tried to argue; instead, he clutched at the wound on his side and groaned loudly. Not knowing what else to do, Yuri told Otabek to hold on before he left. Getting back over the rocks was harder the second time around as the waves were now crashing up higher and harder. He slipped once and gashed his hand as he used it to catch himself on the way down. The cut hurt and was deep enough to bleed, but he pushed through the pain and kept going, knowing his time was limited.  
  
Trying to grip his bicycle handle was near impossible with his left hand, but he didn't need it to get going to his cousin's house. It was closer, and his cousin-in-law had first aid training due to his profession. If anyone could help Otabek, he hoped it was Yuuri. With tears sliding down his cheeks, he held his wounded hand to his chest as he rode as fast as he could to the residential area that was half the distance away than his grandfather's. His knee nearly hit the ground as he took a turn so tight he was sideways on the bike, but he made it to the small bungalow at the end of the cul-de-sac in record time.  
  
He dropped the bike and found the hidden key under the fake rock near the lawn gnome that waved from the front bushes. He fumbled with the key in his haste but got the door open before he started calling out for Victor and his husband. Makkachin was the first to respond, barking and running through the house before lights were flipped on, and the sounds of people came into the living room from the bedroom located in the back of the house.  
  
"Yuri? What are you doing here this late? Is dedushka alright?" Victor demanded to know as he walked out to meet his cousin in nothing more than some sleep pants and a very annoyed expression.  
  
"Yura? What happened to your hand," Yuuri rushed forward when he saw blood staining Yuri's shirt from where he had held it to his chest.  
  
"You have to help Otabek, he's hurt," Yuri insisted not worried about his hand.  
  
"We need to get this cleaned up," Yuuri insisted.  
  
"What are you talking about? Otabek? I thought you said he was a sailor or something. Doesn't he have a medic he can go to?" Victor asked confused.  
  
"Yes, no … OWE!" Yuuri was trying to clean the wound on Yuri's hand with a wet washcloth he had retrieved. "Look, he's not a sailor okay, he doesn't have anyone, and he's really hurt alright. He got attacked by whatever is out in the ocean, and we have to help him." Yuri explained through gritted teeth as Yuuri worked on his hand.  
  
"You need stitches," Yuuri stated matter of fact as he examined Yuri's wound.  
  
"It'll wait. We have to help Otabek first."  
  
"If Otabek is hurt as badly as the others, we need to call an ambulance," Victor said as he went for his phone. Yuri rushed forward, yanking his hand out of Yuuri's in the process causing him to hiss out in pain.  
  
"We can't. Please, just trust me, we have to be the ones to help him," Yuri insisted.  
  
"Yuri," Victor was losing his patience.  
  
"Why Yuri?" Yuuri asked calmly walking forward still holding the bloodied washcloth. "Is he in trouble with the law?"  
  
"No… just please!" Yuri was nearly in tears now, terrified they wouldn't make it to his friend in time.  
  
Relenting, Yuuri wrapped his cousin's hand as best as he could before he put a hand on his husband's shoulder and squeezed it. "Let me get my med kit, and I'll meet you in the car," he said before he walked off to where he kept their medical supplies.  
  
Victor looked at his husband then at Yuri. "I'll get dressed," he said before moving off to the bedroom. After five minutes they were in Victor's Peugeot 3008 and drove down the street. Victor and Yuuri looked at each other but remained silent when Yuri told them where to go, the only sound being that of the ocean, and the crickets as they chirped into the night.  
  
When they got to the beach, Victor pulled down onto the sand as far as he could before Yuri jumped out. The two older men followed, but with confused trepidation.  
  
"Come on; he's in here!" Yuri yelled as he climbed over the rocks.  
  
"Yuri, where are you going? Is this some kind of trick? It's not funny!" Victor called from the water's edge.  
  
"There's a cave here, he's in there, and he's hurt, now come on!"  
  
Victor heaved a sigh before he followed after his younger cousin over the traitorous rocks with Yuuri following close behind. Eventually, they all made it into the cave, and Yuri already had his light on and was making his way down the length of the cave to his friend when Victor and Yuuri made their way in.  
  
"Yuri, I mean it, this had better not be a …" but Victor couldn't finish his sentence, as the shock of what he was seeing stopped him in his tracks. Yuuri bumped into his side and was about to protest to the sudden stop when he saw what it was that froze his husband.  
  
Squatting on the ground, ankle deep in water, Yuri was murmuring to a man who was half fish and who had a deep gash from his human side down into his scales marring his beautiful body.  
  
"Yuri," Victor whispered, still in shock.  
  
"Get over here and help him Katsudon, come on!" Yuri demanded weakly.  
  
Yuuri shook his head and pulled the satchel that was slung over his shoulders around and taking out the med kit. He didn't say anything, but it was clear that he was still trying to process what it was he was seeing, and now touching. Victor still held his phone up at Yuuri’s request as he stayed rooted to the spot while his husband worked on cleaning and examining the wound. Yuri held on to the merman's hand with his wounded one, and ran his other through the dark locks of Otabek's hair.  
  
"He needs a doctor," Yuuri said softly.  
  
"We can't take him to the hospital," Yuri hissed at his cousin.  
  
"I know, but this cut is deep, he needs stitches," Yuuri looked over at the younger man, "and so do you," he added.  
  
"You can do it," Yuri argued.  
  
"Not here. It's too wet and dirty. It would just cause an infection," Yuuri sighed. "If we can get him home, I can take care of it there, but I don't see how we can get him out of the cave. It's too dangerous to carry him over those rocks, and on top of that, he looks very heavy."  
  
"I'll get our boat," Victor spoke up, having been quiet the entire time.  
  
"What?" Yuri looked up, a spark of hope flaring.  
  
"I'll go back and get our speedboat from the docks. I'll bring it here, to the mouth of the cave and back in. Yuuri and I can then carry the… Otabek into the boat and we'll get him to the car from there."  
  
"Alright, yeah," Yuri nodded.  
  
Yuuri looked skeptical, but the wound on Otabek's body was in dire need of proper attention, and he didn't think they had any other choice. He nodded to his husband and wished him to be extra careful getting out of the cave.  
  
Yuuri applied pressure to the wound on Otabek, who whispered to Yuri as they waited.  
  
"What did this?" Yuri asked.  
  
"There's a baby Kraken off the shore. It must have separated from its mother. They don't normally come to the surface," Otabek explained slowly, wincing now and then.  
  
"A Kraken? What the fuck? I thought they were just a myth!" Yuri said without thinking, then realized who he was talking too and blushed. "I mean, … Okay, a Kraken. Well. How do we get rid of it?"  
  
"I'm not sure. I've always kept away from the beasts," Otabek said, his voice trailing off into a whisper towards the end.  
  
"Yuuri?" Yuri was worried. Otabek was getting more pale by the minute, and he was struggling to keep his eyes open.  
  
"Victor will be here soon, hold on," Yuuri tried to reassure them, but his expression wasn’t as hopeful.  
  
By the time the sound of the boat could be heard echoing into the cave, Otabek had passed out. Yuri was told to man the ship since he his hand was still wounded and he wasn't able to help carry the merman. With Victor holding onto Otabek under the arms, and Yuuri holding his other half, they managed to get him into the motorboat in quick time. After that, they raced to the docks where Victor's SUV was waiting.  
  
Once they were back to the Nikiforov's home, Otabek was gently placed in the tub, where he could be kept wet. Yuuri did his best at cleaning out the wound and stitching it while Yuri fretted over Otabek whispering to him to wake up. Sewing up the part that was skin was easy, trying to pass through the scales with his surgical needle was a little harder, but eventually, he was able to suture up the wound. After Otabek was taken care of, Yuri finally allowed his cousin to look at his hand. The gauze and bandages had been soaked through with blood and salt water, but he didn't need nearly as many stitches as the mermaid. Soon enough he had a new bandage wrapped around his hand.  
  
They had filled the claw-foot tub with just enough water to come up to the wound, and they debated whether or not they should put salt in it. They chose not too for the sake of the injury. For the rest of the night, they took turns watching over their house guest as they kept washrags wet to spread over his lower half and tail that hung over the edge of the tub. By morning everyone was exhausted, but Otabek's wound didn't look red or angry, which was a good sign that they had gotten to it before any infection could get in.  
  
It was over a tired breakfast that Victor got a phone call from Yuri's grandfather wondering where he was. Having panicked when he discovered his grandson missing, he called Victor in the hopes of finding him. Victor was able to calm the old man's nerves and explained that Yuri's friend had had an emergency and reassured Nikolia that Yuri was well and with them.  
  
"Nikolia is on his way over," Victor announced after hanging up his phone.  
  
"What? He can't be here, what about Otabek?" Yuri sat up from where he had been slouching in his seat.  
  
"We should tell him, Yuri," Victor told his cousin, as he stirred some jam into his morning tea.  
  
"I agree. And Nikolai may be able to help," Yuuri offered from his seat next to Victor as he leaned on his husband's shoulder, a mug of tea warming his hands.  
  
"But… what if he doesn't. What if he freaks out?" Yuri was on the verge of panicking.  
  
"He was a sailor for over thirty years, for all we know he may have seen mermaids before," Yuuri suggested.  
  
"True. Plus, didn't Otabek say that it was a baby Kraken that was attacking people?" Victor asked.  
  
"Yeah, but I fail to see how that matters," Yuri grumbled.  
  
"He may know someone who can deal with it. He could contact the proper authorities."  
  
"Why can't we?"  
  
"Because you're just a kid, and we would need some kind of proof that we don’t have. Nikolai will have a better chance of being able to convince the right people of what's out there," Victor pointed out with his husband nodding against his shoulder.  
  
Yuri heaved a frustrated sigh, but nodded is acceptance. "Fine, but if this all goes to hell, it's your fault."  
  
It didn't take long for Yuri's grandfather to show up, stress and worry etched on his face as he entered the house.  
  
"You promised…" He began to scold when Victor intervened.  
  
"This was an emergency dedushka," Victor stood between the old man and his grandson.  
  
"Bad enough to warrant him leaving the house in the dead of night without so much as a note?" Nikolai demanded.  
  
"Granted, he could have done things better, but yes, it was that bad," Victor said. Yuri stood a few feet away, rubbing at his arm when Yuuri came over and wrapped his arm around the younger man's shoulders.  
  
Just as Nikolai was about to retort a low groan emanated from the bathroom. Yuri bolted from the room and rushed to his friend as he was waking up.  
  
"Otabek?" Yuri called when he reached the side of the tub. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Like a baby Kraken chewed me up and spit me out," Otabek responded with a grimace as he tried to shift in the unforgiving bathtub. The merman took a moment to take in his surroundings when he finally opened his eyes wide enough to notice he wasn't in his home. "Yuri? … Where am I?"  
  
"Umm… well, I got worried about you when I hadn't seen you for a few days, and … okay, so I snuck out and went to your cave only to find you half dead in the back and I might have panicked and brought my cousin and his husband, who knows first aid, and we had to stitch up the big ass cut you got on your side, and we couldn't do it in the cave, cuz Yuuri insisted that it would only cause an infection. So we brought you here so he could fix you up, and we weren't sure if we should add salt to the bath water, or what we should do, but … yeah. So you're in my cousin's bathtub," Yuri explained in a rush.  
  
Otabek looked down at his side and gingerly traced his fingers down along the stitches in his body.  
  
"Yuuri said that he'd have to pull them out when you're healed, they're not the kind that dissolves," Yuri explained. Otabek raised an eyebrow in confusion.  
  
The merman didn't respond but leaned back in the tub instead. "This place is … bright," he said squinting at the top light that blazed overhead.  
  
"Here," Yuri stood and flipped off the light, then pulled the shade open on the window, allowing the natural light of the morning sun to come streaming in. "Better?"  
  
Otabek nods but closed his eyes as he leaned his head against the edge of the tub. He opened them again when he felt the rush of water against his tale.  
  
"Just making sure you're okay," Yuri said, as the adjusted the tap.  
  
Otabek leaned forward watching the water flow from the tap into the tub when his gaze shifted. "What happened to your hand?" He touched Yuri's covered hand that was resting on the edge of the tub.  
  
"Oh, just slipped when I was trying to climb back out after I found you," Yuri admitted without thought.  
  
"How bad is it?"  
  
"Just a few stitches." A moment of silence followed before Yuri turned off the water when it reached up to Otabek's side. "Do you need salt in the water?"  
  
"No. I can live in both salt and fresh water," Otabek never took his eyes off Yuri's hand, brows furrowed in concern.  
  
"Otabek?" The merman hummed in response. "What happened?" Yuri's voice took on a worried tone.  
  
Otabek sighed and leaned back. "I had been out gathering food when I saw the Kraken attack a man in a boat. I had heard that something was hiding and then attacking quickly before disappearing, but I didn't believe it at first. I hadn't seen it when I had gone looking, I thought perhaps it was a shark or a killer whale going after the humans, but I figured that your water soldiers could handle it. Then it caught my tail by surprise as I was swimming past a large section of underground tunnels and I had to fight it off."  
  
"Did you kill it?"  
  
"No. It's still out there."  
  
"Okay, so we tell the military, and they can take care of it."  
  
"That's not a good idea, Yuri,"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because no one would believe you," a new voice spoke from the door.  
  
Nikolai stood in the entryway, looking directly at the merman laying in the tub. Victor and Yuuri were standing behind him with worried expressions.  
  
"Grandpa… I can explain," Yuri tried.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me your friend was a mermaid?" Nikolia asked.  
  
"How? How would I have even explained that?"  
  
"Simple, you tell me you met a mermaid and became friends. How hard is that?" Nikolai finally looked at his grandson before he turned his gaze back to Otabek. "Tell me about this Kraken, and no leaving out the details. You said it's an infant?"  
  
"Yes, sir. It's not big enough to be older than a year if that."  
  
"How big is that? As big as you?" Yuri asked.  
  
"About as big as that fancy yacht you made fun of last week."  
  
"That was at least a 30-metre boat!" Yuri balked at the mental image.  
  
"Now imagine how large its mother is," Nikolai added.  
  
"I'd rather not," Yuri heard the other Yuuri say out in the hall, and he agreed. Something that large was terrifying and it made him realize something.  
  
"Otabek. How do you suggest we get rid of the beast?"  
  
"I'm going to lure it down back into the depths," Otabek's answer was automatic and laced with resignation.  
  
"You can't! It could kill you," Yuri argued.  
  
"I don't have much choice. If it stays here, people are going to continue to get hurt, and I'm not sure I could kill it on my own."  
  
"But!"  
  
"There is no other way Yuri," Otabek answered.  
  
Yuri felt tears prick at his eyes and he pushed his way out of the bathroom and out into the yard. He knew Otabek was probably right, but that didn't mean he liked the answer. Otabek had become his first and only real friend. No one else understood him like the merman. No one asked to be his friend like Otabek had. He didn't want to lose the man now. Not when they only had one summer together.  
  
Yuri had dropped down into the grass and was resting his head on this knees that were drawn up to his chest. He felt a hand gently touch in between his shoulder blades as a person sat down beside him.  
  
"Otabek and Nikolai are discussing the Kraken and what can be done about it," Victor said as he began to rub gentle circles into Yuri's back.  
  
"There has to be a better way," Yuri mumbled into his knees.  
  
"I want to believe there is also, but I'm not sure how. Nikolia said that although other sailors like himself have seen such creatures, that doesn't mean they would be believed."  
  
"What about other merpeople?" Yuri asked looking over at his cousin.  
  
"Has Otabek ever mentioned any others like him?"  
  
Yuri had to shake his head no. "Just that he hasn't been to his family’s home in a long time, but he doesn't talk about it. It's a topic he avoids."  
  
"I don't know then. In all the years I've gone scuba-diving; I don't think I would feel confident to be of any use, even if Otabek allowed me to help," Victor offered.  
  
Yuri looked off into the distance. The roar of the ocean could barely be heard since it was only a few miles away. The morning sunlight shone brightly through the trees as the birds sang out their welcoming song. A perfect day, great for swimming, walking the boardwalk, laughing and enjoying the freedom that comes with being out of school and with great friends. Except instead, he was having visions of losing his best friend to a sea monster. A Grimm’s fairytale come true, and he feared that there would be no happily ever after for this story.  
  
Victor and Yuri sat in the grass until Yuuri came to gather them, telling Yuri that Otabek wanted to talk to him. Fearing the worst, Yuri made his way back into the house. He found Nikolai sitting on the toilet seat, talking to Otabek, but excused himself when Yuri came in. His grandfather gave his shoulder a quick squeeze before giving the two of them privacy.  
  
"As soon as I can, I have to get back to the ocean," Otabek told him getting straight to the point.  
  
"But the Kraken?" Yuri felt as his heart sank.  
  
"I belong in the ocean, Yuri. Not cramped in a bathtub."  
  
Yuri hung his head. "What about your wound?"  
  
"There are plants I can eat that will help it heal. I just need to get back to my cave."  
  
Yuri looked over Otabek's body, not able to miss all the other bruises that littered the merman's torso, some along some of the discolored scales due to bruising.  
  
"I'll be fine Yura, I promise," Otabek said reaching out to him.  
  
Yuri stepped forward and took his hand, feeling the softness of his skin, knowing that once he got back into the ocean, it would turn back into the gray iridescent. When he looked close enough, he could see how Otabek's skin shimmered in the light where his fins and scales would come out when wet or wanted. It always fascinated him. If people didn't look hard enough, Otabek would seem normal, but it took paying attention to see the shimmer to the skin that outlined the fins and scales that would appear.  
  
"You can't make that promise, Beka. You don't know if that Kraken will try to eat you for lunch, or what it's mom will do if it finds you," the image of Otabek fighting a massive Kraken popped into Yuri's brain, and he had to shake it to try to clear it out.  
  
"The first time it caught me by surprise. I didn't even know what to look for then. Now that I know what I'm up against, I know how to handle it and myself," he said.  
  
"I just don't want to lose you," Yuri admitted.  
  
"And you won't," Otabek said quietly tugging a little on Yuri's hand. "Come here," he said as he pulled down on Yuri.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just come here," Otabek said trying to pull Yuri into the tub.  
  
Yuri leaned forward not sure what Otabek wanted when he felt a pair of lips suddenly against his. His eyes flew open in shock, and he couldn't even respond if he wanted to. Otabek pulled back after a moment, and it was then that Yuri had control of his body again. He lunged forward and captured Otabek's lips with his own, and kissed back tilting his head to slot their mouths perfectly together.  
  
When they finally pulled back, they were both smiling, but Yuri's was short lived. "Please don't go Otabek," he begged.  
  
"I can't stay here, Yura. … Your grandfather has offered to take me out to where the underground tunnels are. He'll let me dive down from there. That way I'm not using as much energy trying to get there."  
  
Yuri ran his hand lightly over the stitches down Otabek's body. "Are you sure you can do this?"  
  
"I don't have a choice. Someone else could get hurt if I don't." Yuri rested his head against Otabek's wishing he could keep his friend here, but he knew it was fruitless. Even without a threat out in the ocean, Otabek belonged to the seas, not to him. Not in some bathtub in suburbia.  
  
"I'll miss you. Come back as soon as you can okay?" Yuri said.  
  
"I will," Otabek said as he cupped Yuri's cheek which Yuri leaned into.  
  
They waited until nightfall to move Otabek. Yuuri wanted to make sure his wound would hold up to the merman's swimming, and they didn't need anyone seeing the mythical creature during the daylight hours. At dusk, they gently moved him back into Victor's SUV, and he and Yuri took Otabek back to the docks, with Yuuri and Nikolai in the elder man's car.  
  
The five of them took Victor's boat out to where Otabek described the tunnels would be and as the moon ascended into the sky, and the stars began to dot the night sky, they helped Otabek back into the ocean.  
  


**~*~**

  
When Otabek hit the water, the salt stung at his wound, and for a moment he wasn't sure if he was strong enough to go in search of an infant sea monster, much less try to outmaneuver it. His gills opened on his neck. The fins on his arms and down his back appeared and darkened while the skin on his arms and along the sides of his face turned near black and shined like a dark rainbow. His ears thinned, and thin webbed fins appeared along the curve, the cartilage turning into spines for webbing to spread between. Similar to how his hands went from normal human to darkened and webbed.  
  
Once he was in full mermaid form, he popped his head back above the water to let the others know he was well and would do alright under the water. He gave them a wave, having said his goodbyes while he was still on the boat, and he ducked back down under. It was a few minutes later that the motor picked up moving the boat back towards the shore.  
  
After they left, he went in search of the particular type of plant that when eaten would help his wounds heal faster. It took him some time, and he had to make sure the Kraken wasn't in around before he found the plant. It was one that wasn't very common, but thankfully there was enough, and he was able to eat what he knew would be enough to get the healing process started.  
  
Admittedly, moving his torso back and forth to swim ached terribly, but with a Kraken out there looking for its mother and possibly destroying everything in its path in the process, he knew he didn't have time to heal more. Once he finished collecting and eating the healing plant, he swam around to the edge of the mouth of the tunnel. Along the wall was long tube sponges that gave off a bright glow due to their bio-luminescence quality. When he had one strong to enough to light his way, he began his investigation of the tunnels that ran under the length of rock beds. It was where the Kraken had been when he was attacked, and it made the most sense for it to be a place to hide. Being an infant, it was probably scared, despite its size and capability of taking out pretty much anything it wanted.  
  
He swam into one tunnel on high alert shining the light. The tunnel led to a series of others, like a maze of passages. He listened for any noises that didn't belong and looked for anything that might indicate the Kraken was near. Shadows bounced off the walls of smaller fish swimming by startled him a few times, but he kept steady in his search. When he came to a fork in the road, he shined the light down both tunnels hoping for some clue which way to take. When he shined the light up high, he noticed scratches above his head and knew this was the way the beast had gone. Slowly, he entered the tunnel, expecting a tentacle to sneak out at any moment. He continued until the tunnel emptied out into a large chamber mostly filled with water.  
  
The ceiling was covered in stalactites, but when he looked down, expecting to find nothing but kelp, he found the Kraken. It moved slowly, like a creature trying to get comfortable in its bed and thankfully it had yet to see him. He quickly moved back against the inside wall of the tunnel, wondering what he could do now that he knew where it was. He thought of blocking off the tunnel but wasn't sure how to do that, as there weren't enough large rocks to seal off the entrance. Plus, when he looked over at the other side, he could see another tunnel leading into the cavern, and he knew the Kraken could escape that way.  
  
He was looking around when he realized perhaps he didn't need to seal off a tunnel but instead make the ceiling collapse instead. But that would require ramming into the stalactites which would not only put a lot of force on his already wounded body, but it would alert the Kraken to his presence. It was at this moment he wished he hadn't been banished from his home. Help from the warriors would be handy right now. But there was not anything he can do about it now; he had to face this problem himself.  
  
He floated slightly out of the tunnel as he thought and looked towards the ceiling. He didn't notice the tentacle until it was almost too late and jerked back before it could catch him. He looked down in time to see that the Kraken had seen him and was now quickly coming to get him. He swam backward and flipped around to swim out of the tunnel as fast as he could. But as he was going towards the entrance, he made a sharp turn and went down a different tunnel instead. He could feel the rush of waves from the sea monster as it chased after him. Otabek, though wounded, still had the advantage of being smaller and faster, especially in the tight and narrow spaces that the beast was struggling to get around in. He swam as quickly as he could, pushing past the pain and ache in his side hoping he could still outmaneuver the beast that was rapidly gaining on him. He turned down another tunnel, and then another. He felt a swipe at his tail fins as the Kraken tried to catch him. It was closer than he anticipated. With a plan formulated in his mind, he knew he had to keep moving if he was going to succeed.  
  
After a few more twist and turns, Otabek could feel the pain in his side aching even more than ever, but what he needed suddenly came into view right ahead of him. The Kraken was on his tail, and with a final burst of energy, he swam out of the tunnel and up towards the stalactites hanging down from the chamber where he first found the monster. With water nearly halfway up the hanging stone, he weaved between then and heard the sea monster as it crashed into the massive stalactites. Tentacles reached out and tried to capture him, one wrapping around his body while another wanted to catch him, but got tangled on a nearby stalactite. He fought with the foot of the tentacle as it tried to yank and pull at him, it's suction cups clinging to his already bruised body.  
  
Feeling the pull against him, he jerked forward, and up into more of the spiked ceiling. The Kraken followed and crashed into many of the stalactites hanging. Some of the smaller ones broke free and fell, sinking down into the water, while the larger ones held fast. He pulled again, feeling the Kraken's grip give slightly and after another rush forward he was able to escape. The Kraken curling around many of the more massive stalactites hanging down trying to get to him. He swam around them hoping to confuse the monster and find a weakness.  
  
When the Kraken's head hit against a giant stalactite, Otabek saw it move, and he knew he had his chance. He lured the monster down a little, to give him room, and then with as much speed as he could, he burst forward and slammed his body against the stalactite causing it to break away. He swam up again and crashed into the one closest to the other, and it too broke free, soon cracks were forming in the ceiling, and with one final smash, it began to crash and fall upon them. As fast as he could, moving purely on adrenalin, he escaped the ceiling collapsing in on the chamber, trapping the Kraken beneath all it's spikes and massive stones as it fell in on itself. He swam as quickly as he could out as the sound of the collapsing chamber caused a chain reaction making the tunnels also cave in. He kept going until the light from the tube sponges told him he was close to the mouth of the entrance, and just as the tunnel sealed itself off, he made it out barely by a few inches.  
  
Once safe, he turned and watched as the rocks sank, sealing up the chamber. He had done it; he killed the Kraken. A feat not ever accomplished by any other. With what little strength left and adrenalin still coursing through his body, he made his way back to his home, but by the time he made it, he was utterly exhausted, and it was the waves that washed him into his cave. He couldn't be sure, but as his eyes drifted shut from pure exhausted, he could have sworn he saw blond hair and the piercing green of the eyes of a soldier as they whispered his name.  
  


**~*~**

  
When Otabek woke again, he was in his cave, but lights were shining from the side. Artificial, like the ones he would see glow from the small town on land. He couldn't help but groan as he turned to find a small group of people sitting on some flotation devices while they murmured to themselves. The groan of pain alerted them to his being awake.  
  
"Otabek!" Yuri called as he rushed over, splashing in the shallow water, followed closely by the others.  
  
Yuri knelt down to where Otabek was laying on a bed of seaweed as the others watched over the blond's shoulder. “How are you feeling?”  
  
“Horrible,” Otabek admitted. His side still ached horribly, and he had a pounding headache.  
  
“I had to restitch some of your wound,” Yuuri spoke up from behind Yuri. “Some of them got pulled out; you’ll probably end up with a scar.”  
  
“It’s better than being dead,” Otabek said.  
  
“Is it dead?” Nikolai asked where he stood down closer to Otabek’s tail fins.  
  
“Yes. A cavern collapsed on it and sealed it in. Even if the falling rocks didn’t kill it, it’s not getting out.”  
  
“Good,” Nikolai nodded. “I’m glad you survived,” he added before he walked back to the small raft.  
  
“Everyone has been really worried about you,” Yuri mumbled.  
  
Otabek raised up and cupped the side of Yuri’s face, “Even you?” the merman asked with a smirk.  
  
Victor and Yuuri took this as their cue to give the two some privacy and went back to join Nikolai.  
  
“Especially me,” Yuri admitted before he leaned down and gave Otabek a small kiss.  
  
A few hours later, after Otabek took another nap and Nikolai caught some fish for Otabek to eat, they discussed what would happen from then out. Otabek told them about the healing plants and where to find them. Victor, having the most experience with scuba-diving agreed to get what Otabek needed. Yuuri promised to keep on eye on Otabek’s wounds, while Yuri would either stay with his friend to keep him company or accompany Nikolai with fishing.  
  
By the time Yuuri took the stitches out of the merman, Otabek was restless and ready to go back out into the ocean. He would have sooner, but Yuuri insisted he wait until the wound heals completely. Because of where it was, and his body movements needed to swim, he could run the risk of opening it again. So he waited, but thankfully Yuri was always there to keep him company.  
  
After the colder months came, it was a chilly day in October that Otabek had to break the news to Yuri that he had to leave. The waters would be too cold for him to survive. So like he has always done every winter, he would migrate to warmer waters. Yuri didn’t want him to go, but ultimately he understood. With tears and final kisses, Yuri and his family bid Otabek farewell before he slipped from the edge of the boat into the deep waters.  
  
That winter felt like it was the longest ever and that it would never end as each day would drag by. A merman ornament hung on display during the holidays in honor of Otabek and Yuri felt like his birthday was missing something when he turned seventeen. Many days, when the weather was warm enough, he would sit on the beach where he first saw Otabek and watch the waters in hopes of seeing the mermaid. Wishing, hoping to see a splash in the waves or dark hair peek from behind the rocks. It was too dangerous to visit his cave, but Yuri would visit the beach near the treacherous stones to see if Otabek was there.  
  
After the snow melted and the trees began to bud, on a warm spring day, Yuri trying to open a window to let in the fresh air. It was time for spring cleaning, and everyone was enlisted to help Victor and Yuuri clean out the dust.  
  
“Don’t forget the window in the kitchen,” Yuuri called from the living room.  
  
“Da, da…” Yuri grumbled as he fought with the glass pane trying to get it up. Once he was able to unlock the hinges, he pushed it up to lock it into place. Once he checked to make sure it was secure he looked out into the front yard and gasped in surprise.  
  
There, standing on his cousin’s front path, looking around at the house, stood Otabek. Wearing a white t-shirt, black jeans, boots, and a leather jacket as if he was any other human just coming over for a visit. With a whoop of excitement, Yuri rushed from the window out the front door and out to jump on the man he’s missed most. Otabek barely had time to catch him, as Yuri’s legs wrapped around his waist and arms around his shoulders.  
  
“Beka, Beka, Beka,” Yuri chanted as he clung tight.  
  
“Yura,” Otabek chuckled squeezing Yuri back, his smile pressed into the golden tresses he missed so much.  
  
Yuri suddenly lifted his head, almost knocking into Otabek’s face, his eyes wide with shock. “You have legs,” he whispered.  
  
“You noticed,” Otabek laughed this time. His smile reaching his eyes.  
  
Slowly Yuri got his footing on solid ground, but neither of them relinquished their hold on the other. “How?”  
  
“Let’s go inside, and I’ll tell everyone at once,” Otabek said with a smile.  
  
After many greetings and a round of tea made, everyone was gathered in the kitchen to listen to Otabek’s tale.  
  
“I have traveled to many places during the winters, and have met many other merfolk during that time, but most of them stick to our kind when it comes to finding a mate,” Otabek started. His cheeks turned a deep pink at the word mate. “But I’m not the first person to find one in a human,” he reached out and took Yuri’s hand in his, and it was Yuri’s turn to blush. “I met another merman in the waters near Canada named Jean-Jacques. He had fallen in love with a human woman and wanted to stay with her. To marry, as it’s called.” He looked up to Victor and Yuuri who nodded that he was correct. “He discovered that like how our top fins fade into our skin when dry if we dry out completely then our tails will split and create legs.”  
  
“Woah, really?” Yuri was fascinated.  
  
“Yeah. It’s just not easy though. The first time I tried, it took almost four hours to get completely dry and then when it finally happened I had no idea how to stand or even walk. But I kept trying, and JJ and Isabella, his mate, helped me learn.”  
  
“That’s so cool,’ Yuri said.  
  
“How did you get the clothes?” Yuuri asked.  
  
“I know how certain items from the ocean are valuable to you humans, so I collected some of them, pearls, and such, and Isabella helped me get the things I needed. She packed them in a tight seal bag and put them into a waterproof satchel so that I could have them on my travels back,” Otabek explained.  
  
“So… are you back for the summer then? Or…” Victor asked, letting the question hang in the air.  
  
“I’d like to be back for good. Spend the summer in my true form, but try the winter months as a human. If you’ll have me?” Otabek asked, his question directed at Yuri.  
  
“Yes,” Yuri answered before he crashed their lips together in a searing kiss.  
  
When they pulled back, Otabek looked past Yuri to his grandfather. “We would love to have you,” Nikolai approved.  
  
With a happy shout from Yuri, Otabek smiled, happy to have a new home.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos, comments and constructive criticism is always welcome. 
> 
> (I survive off of comments. They help me live!)
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr: [D2Diamond](https://d2diamond.tumblr.com/)


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